I Think I Messed Up Grandma (1)
I Think I Messed Up Grandma (1)
"Yong-tae... you must never get close to wicked things."
Grandma, who had acted as my parent since my parents passed away from illness when I was young, had warned me repeatedly. Not to get close to strange and wicked things like ghosts and yokai.
"Grandma, I think I'm screwed."
The problem was that I was currently in the Spiritual World, filled with vengeful spirits.
Spiritual World.
It meant the hidden world where ghosts, yokai, and supernatural entities lived, not the reality we see.
I had ended up alone in the world that had instilled fear in people through movies.
How did I know it was the Spiritual World?
Outside, translucent humans floating in mid-air were flying around with their heads twisted in grotesque ways.
They clearly weren't human.
And above all.
[ Occultist Gallery ]
Sharing locations for high-tier talisman looting in the Spiritual World (15)
Ah, I didn't prepare properly, anyone want to meet up if our spawns overlap in this Spiritual World run? (12)
Since they were calling it the Spiritual World on a place called a gallery.
Title) In this world, please, please don't let me meet the boss, please
'Talisman-selling Girl'
Please please please please...!!
I'll live a good life, I'll live a good life.
ㄴBack Mountain Mountain Spirit: Lol, Bu-pal-i, you're definitely in the Back Alley. If you meet Red Mask, tell her she's pretty.
ㄴMonk No. 24: Judging by your usual behavior, I am certain misfortune will befall you.
ㄴGumi Miho: I'll buy flowers in advance for you~.
ㄴTalisman-selling Girl: You crazy people are casting curses on me. (Image of a ghost holding a nail)
Title) Let's talk about spawn locations.
'Spiritual Master'
Title says it all.
ㄴSpiritual Master: I'm in the city.
ㄴTalisman-selling Girl: So jealous that the Admin is in the city... I'm in the Back Alley...
ㄴGumi Miho: Hahahaha, I'm at the Fox Shrine.
ㄴMonk No. 24: Amitabha... This humble monk is at the pond.
ㄴBack Mountain Mountain Spirit: Ghost mansion.
ㄴVatican: Backrooms...
ㄴSpiritual Master: No way, Vatican got a hidden map spawn. What are you going to do about that.
It seemed to function exactly like the gallery everyone commonly referred to.
"I should write a post, right..?"
I clicked on write post.
[ Please enter a nickname. ]
"Nickname... let's go with Occult Newbie."
There was no special reason. Since the gallery name was Occultist Gallery.
[ Will you go with "Occult Newbie"? ]
"Alright, let's write it."
I confirmed the nickname and wrote the post.
Title) Where is this and who are you people?
'Occult Newbie'
I woke up in a strange place after sleeping.
How do I get out of this place called the Spiritual World?
ㄴBack Mountain Mountain Spirit: Newbie? A real newbie? In this world overflowing with scammers?
ㄴGumi Miho: How long has it been since we had a newbie?
ㄴJack the Ripper: Whoa, want to take my dual pistols?
ㄴTalisman-selling Girl: Admin. Is this for real?
ㄴSpiritual Master: I'm checking for boss spawns, so wait a moment. Newbie-nim, please chat in the free chat room.
I entered the free chat room at the bottom of the gallery.
-Occult Newbie: Do I type here?
-Spiritual Master: This is real? I confirmed the account was just created. Everyone, please be careful with your mentions.
-Talisman-selling Girl: Wait, then doesn't that mean they're a legitimate spiritual psychic?
-Occult Newbie: Spiritual psychic...? I'm just a regular person with nothing like that...
-Talisman-selling Girl: ??? Huh?
-Gumi Miho: Can you even be dragged into the Spiritual World without spiritual powers? I haven't even heard of that from the Admin.
While I was sitting in the room and diligently looking through the gallery, an unsettling sound was heard.
Kkiiiiik—
The sound of tearing from an old hinge.
It was coming from the door of the room I was in.
"Wh, what..."
I looked at the door and then turned my head back to the free chat room.
-Spiritual Master: For now, we'll explain the Newbie-nim situation later, but never stay in one place for too long. If you stay in one place for too long, minor spirits nearby will swarm you.
"Ki...kiki."
"You should have told me that sooner...!"
I had seen it. The ghost with the broken neck, clinging to the ceiling and looking down at me.
Instead of pupils, there were pitch-black holes in its eye sockets, and thick black tears were flowing down. Its clothes were modern, but for some reason, they were torn and stained with blood.
I immediately bolted out of the room.
'Damn it... damn it... what is this.'
I cursed under my breath and looked for something that could serve as a weapon.
Minor spirits were the kind that disappeared just by sprinkling salt.
Based on what I had seen on You-Tube, I found a kitchen knife and salt in the kitchen.
"Ki...kiki...!"
The ghost that had come out of the room was now crawling on the ceiling in a grotesque manner on all fours and rushed at me.
"Minor spirit..!! Get back!!"
I gathered all my strength and threw the salt at it.
"Ki..?!"
The ghost flinched for a moment after getting hit by the salt.
"Doesn't that hurt, you bastard?!"
"Ki...kiki...!!"
Its laughter grew louder and its body began to swell.
"I think I just made it angry..."
Just in case, I checked the ingredients of the salt.
The word 'Seasoned' was written in large letters in front of the word salt.
"It's seasoned salt... damn it."
"Kikikiki!!"
I swung the kitchen knife at the ghost reaching out toward me.
The kitchen knife passed right through the ghost's arm.
"Attacks don't work either—ugh."
Without even landing a proper attack, I had my neck grabbed by the ghost.
"Ki...kiki!"
The bastard that had cornered me against the wall slowly opened its mouth. Its face grew so large I wondered how much bigger it would get, opening wide enough to swallow a watermelon whole.
"Cr...azy...."
Inside its mouth, just like its eye sockets, was a pitch-black darkness without a single glimmer of light.
No matter how much I swung the kitchen knife at its body, it didn't touch.
"Please!! Die!! Just die!!"
The moment its massive mouth was about to swallow my head, I threw the kitchen knife and swung my fist.
Ppeo-eok!!
Along with the sensation of my fist making contact, the pressure on my neck disappeared.
"Cough..! Cough...! So, fists work...?"
"Kii..?!"
I loosened my body and approached the bastard.
"You're dead."
A while later, I confirmed the bastard had gone cold and logged into the gallery.
Title) I managed to beat one ghost to death.
'Occult Newbie'
Title says it all. Since seasoned salt and a kitchen knife didn't work, I beat it to death with my fists.
ㄴBack Mountain Mountain Spirit: You beat it to death...? A ghost?!
ㄴGumi Miho: We can't even kill them without talismans or special equipment.
ㄴSpiritual Master: A regular person beat it to death with their fists? You shouldn't even be able to touch it without spiritual powers. Newbie-nim, can you share a photo?
ㄴOccult Newbie: A photo?
ㄴSpiritual Master: If you open the write post menu, there should be a photo share option. If you click share, you can take a picture of what you're seeing and upload it. Recording or live streaming is also possible.
ㄴOccult Newbie: (Photo of the ghost flattened like a pancake)
ㄴMonk No. 24: Amitabha... Judging by the broken neck, it appears to be a suicide ghost who jumped from a high-rise building.
ㄴSpiritual Master: No way... you caught a Newbie-crusher?
Is beating a ghost to death with your fists really that big of a deal?
Just when I was thinking I should start moving, a strange sound was heard.
Tiring—!
[ A private message has arrived. ]
I opened the private message box and saw a chat from 'Spiritual Master'.
-Spiritual Master: First, if you put your hand into the ghost's chest, items will come out? Take that and go to another building.
I did as he said and put my hand into the ghost's chest.
A black window popped up.
'It's like a looting window.'
[ Old Talisman (Commoner-tier) x1 ]
[ Torn and dirty clothes x1 ]
I didn't know what was important, so I took everything and opened the front door slightly.
In the straight hallway, all sorts of minor spirits were full, including one smashing its head against the front door and a child running around.
-Spiritual Master: Tell me when you arrive at a safe place. I'll teach you how to turn on the broadcast.
I first walked stealthily to avoid encountering the minor spirits as much as possible.
I arrived at a different building quite far from the house I was originally in.
I entered a house with the door open, immediately closed the door, and locked it.
'There shouldn't be anything inside, right?'
I searched thoroughly with my fist raised, but there was no sign of a ghost.
-Occult Newbie: I've arrived at a safe place for now.
-Spiritual Master: Good. Turn on the broadcast as I instruct you.
I activated the live broadcast button in the detailed settings of the gallery he mentioned.
And I pressed the broadcast tab and clicked start broadcast.
[ This is 'Occult Newbie's' live broadcast. ]
-Gumi Miho: Yay, it's been a while since a newbie live broadcast.
-Talisman-selling Girl: I think I spent all day running away when I was a newbie...
-Back Mountain Mountain Spirit: Did a monster rookie enter who could rival the Admin?
The chat went up quickly.
-Spiritual Master: First, explore the gallery for details later, and I'll teach you how to escape.
"Yes...."
-Back Mountain Mountain Spirit: What, the newbie is a guy. Uhehe (Image of a ghost blushing)
-Gumi Miho: Uhehe... so it was a guy...
I read the Admin's words first.
-Spiritual Master: The talisman you got earlier is for emergencies. If you throw it and shout 'Burn!', you should be able to bind the feet of a few ghosts.
I took out the talisman I had put in my pocket.
I didn't have good memories regarding talismans. Grandma also hated faith or things like these talismans.
This was also the first time I had held one with my own hands.
'It's fascinating.'
-Spiritual Master: You see the convenience store across the way, right? Green smoke should be coming out from there.
"Yes, that's right."
-Spiritual Master: That is the escape route. Remember that most of them are marked with a green light like that.
It didn't look that difficult to get there.
Although cars were scattered on the road, it was a distance I could reach if I ran.
"There aren't many ghosts, can't I just cross over?"
-Vatican: Fucking... I had a time when I thought like that too.
-Back Mountain Mountain Spirit: That... judgment...
-Gumi Miho: Isn't it time for it to appear?
At the words that sounded like they were waiting for something, I looked at the road.
I saw a headless ghost limping toward the road.
The moment it stepped onto the road.
Whoosh—!!
A massive shadow was cast.
Kooong—!!
A giant crow with three heads immediately trampled the ghost.
"Crazy..."
It was a giant crow that felt similar in size to this apartment complex. The bastard tore apart and ate the ghost it had trampled with its huge beak.
-Spiritual Master: That crow, the Monster Bird, doesn't usually go toward the buildings and only stays near that road.
"If that's the case..."
-Spiritual Master: Luring a few ghosts onto the road and crossing in the meantime is the task of this tutorial.
While the Admin's explanation continued, I saw a chat uploaded by a user.
-Gumi Miho: Wait, why does that Monster Bird look like it's looking this way?
"Kkureuk...? Kkureureuk?"
The eyes of the Monster Bird making a strange sound were directed at none other than me.
"Uh..."
"Kkureureuk?!"
The cry grew louder, and it began to approach me with heavy thuds.
"Why, you said it usually doesn't come over...?!"
-Spiritual Master: Huh? Why is it...?
"You shouldn't be saying that if you don't know?!"
I desperately racked my brain.
'If it rams into this with that body, this building would easily crumble...'
It was too late to run away.
The bastard walking at tremendous speed seemed like it would reach here in a few seconds.
"Ta, talisman!!"
I hurriedly took out the talisman I had in my pocket.
Since it said it binds movement, I might be able to buy time to run away.
"It's so big, will it work...? Eh, whatever."
"Kkureureuk!! Kkureureuk!!"
I threw the talisman at the bastard running with its wings spread.
"Burn!"
The talisman flew weakly, fluttering, and landed at the crow's feet.
I'm screwed.
The moment my life flashed before my eyes.
Whoosh.
The talisman began to burn.
A lot.
"Hmm...?"
The flames that ignited at the Monster Bird's feet grew in an instant and completely swallowed the bastard.
"Kkureureuk!!"
-Yong-tae... you must never get close to wicked things.
Grandma's words came back to me. Even the part that followed.
-Because you were born with a destiny that defies the heavens.... You will surely cause a great upheaval.